P.E.I. reports record-breaking 222 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, 1,378 active infections

Prince Edward Island reported a record breaking 222 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the number of active infections in the province to 1,378.

“As COVID-19 continues to circulate in Prince Edward Island, it is more important than ever to stay diligent in following public health measures like masking, physical distancing, hand washing and keeping your circle of contacts small,” said Dr. Heather Morrison, the province’s chief public health officer,  in a press release on Wednesday.

The province says the new cases are under investigation andcontact tracing is underway.

Over the last seven days, the province has reported an average of 150 new cases per day.

Three people are in hospital with the virus, one of the individuals is in intensive care.  Dr. Morrison says there are also four people in hospital for other reasons who tested positive for COVID-19.

In an effort to preserve the limited capacity of Health P.E.I. testing clinics, the province says COVID-19 testing will be limited to the followinguntil further notice:

• Symptomatic individuals
• Close contacts of positive cases
• Confirmatory tests for individuals who test preliminary positive at a point-of-entry
• Confirmatory tests for individuals who test preliminary positive with a rapid antigen test

Public health says anyone experiencing symptoms should isolate until they are able to be tested and continue to isolate after being tested until a negative result is received.

As of Saturday, 95.5 per cent of eligible residents age 12 years and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 92.3 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses, and 41.9 per cent of children age five to 11 have received their first dose.

The province says over 20,500 people have received their third dose.